An Evening with Jane Austen

To mark the 200th Anniversary of Jane Austen’s death, Gilbert White’s closest literary neighbour, we are hosting an evening with Austen. With late night access to this remarkable museum, and additional information about the links between the great novelist and the White family, you can also enjoy an evening of light refreshments and readings from Jane Austen’s novels and letters.

Tickets

17 available

An Evening with Jane Austen

£10.00

27th October

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Gilbert Whites House

Gilbert White was aged 7 or 8 when the White family moved from the Vicarage on Selborne’s Plestor, to this house, called ‘The Wakes’ (named after the Wake family who had lived here previously). At that time the property would have been no more than a ‘two up, two down’ but over the subsequent years lots of extensions and additions have been made, creating the long sizeable house you see today.

The rooms have been restored following descriptions in White’s own correspondence and include a chair he used at Oriel College, Oxford (loaned from the College), items of contemporary furniture, family portraits and bed hangings embroidered for him by his aunts.

On display is the original manuscript of his book, The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne, which was purchased with generous help from English Heritage and others.